Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Story last updated at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Arraignment for Colombian drug kingpin postponed

By KEN THOMAS
Associated Press Writer

MIAMI - A judge postponed the arraignment of Cali drug kingpin Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela Tuesday to give his attorney time to work with Treasury Department officials to determine whether the Colombian's assets can be used to pay for his defense.

Jose Quinon, Rodriguez Orejuela's attorney, has said his client plans to plead innocent to federal charges of cocaine smuggling and money laundering. But he needs to receive clarification from the department's Office of Foreign Assets Control that Rodriguez Orejuela or his relatives have money that could be used for legal fees.

"Those are issues that we're still working on," Quinon told reporters.

U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno rescheduled the arraignment for Jan. 28, 2005.

Rodriguez Orejuela, 65, has said he has not been involved in drug trafficking since his imprisonment in Colombia in 1995. He and his brother, Miguel, are charged with running a drug network that produced 80 percent of the U.S. cocaine supply during the 1990s.

Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela was extradited from Colombia earlier this month and has been jailed in solitary confinement awaiting trial.

Federal prosecutors have said the defendants imported and distributed more than 440,000 pounds (200,000 kilograms) of cocaine from 1999 to July 2002 concealed in items such as frozen vegetables and ceramic tiles. The indictment seeks to seize $2.1 billion, which prosecutors said represents money made from drug trafficking and money laundering.

The Treasury office, called OFAC, is charged with freezing the bank accounts and other financial assets of countries, companies and individuals who are U.S. enemies, including terrorists and international drug traffickers. The brothers have been under the federal sanctions since October 1995.

Molly Millerwise, a Treasury department spokeswoman, said she could not comment on Rodriguez Orejuela's case or speculate on whether his assets would be available. But she said OFAC has granted licenses for similar cases after ensuring the money would be used for legitimate purposes.

Quinon said he has the proper OFAC license to be able to be paid by Rodriguez Orejuela if the assets are considered clean by government regulators. But if Rodriguez Orejuela's relatives want to help pay his legal bill, Quinon said he would need additional licenses.

"It becomes cumbersome in that sense but we're working though it," Quinon said.

Copyright Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.